Molten salt systems retrofit coal plants into thermal batteries: excess wind/solar heats salt, stored energy later drives turbines. Fuel is eliminated, costs shift to capex, and long-duration storage (days–weeks) becomes cheap. This “Carnot battery” model undercuts gas by absorbing surplus and serving peaks, turning coal assets into dispatchable, fuel-free power hubs.
From the 17th century, Caribbean sugar fueled European wealth via plantations reliant on enslaved labor. Napoleonic Wars, slave revolts, and embargoes disrupted trade, while Europe’s sugar beet offered a cheaper, local alternative. Similarly, today EVs, renewables, and local energy reduce dependence on oil and natural gas, slashing costs and reshaping global energy markets—history repeating itself in technological disruption.